Airships are commonly used for carrying bulky loads across different regions through varying flight conditions. Existing airships used for shipping high loads have envelope structures capable of withstanding overpressures and environmental conditions. There also exists steerable space balloons to carry a payload for the exploration of the atmospheric layers, these structures comprise a carrier balloon inflated with a lighter-than-air gas such as hydrogen or helium, coupled with a stabilizer balloon inflated with air.
Generally, airships are elongated structures broadly classified into dirigibles and blimps. The major difference between the two classes is that the blimp lacks a rigid support framework present in the dirigible. The elongated shape provides a greater aerodynamic efficiency including greater attitude, speed, and endurance for a given propulsion system. Airships use a lifting gas, which is lighter than air, such as hydrogen or helium for ascending and/or floating. Upon take off, the airships are able to fly at a certain altitude at a relatively low speed due to their large size, aerodynamics, and shape.
Aircrafts such as airplanes are able to travel at higher speeds, but generally require a runway for takeoff and landing purposes. The process of takeoff and landing is usually noisy and uses a high amount of energy, which results in dumping of a large number of toxins in residential areas surrounding airstrips. In addition, the airplane fuels contain significant amount of lead and other pollutants, which on combustion results in contamination of atmospheric air.
Airships have the potential to carry large quantities of goods and passengers. This potential can be leveraged along with the lighter than air gas or gases powered ascent and flight of airships, for flying manned or unmanned aircrafts and spaceships.